


Lethal Regality

by tsumumii



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Haikyuu - Freeform, Jealous Oikawa Tooru, Oikawa - Freeform, Pining Oikawa Tooru, Pro Volleyball Player Oikawa Tooru, Reader-Insert, Romance, Seijoh - Freeform, aoba johsai, oikawa tooru - Freeform, oikawaxreader - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:14:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27228679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tsumumii/pseuds/tsumumii
Summary: "Me and you, and you and me, no matter how they tossed the dice, it had to be..."•When all walls fall and nothing is left but raw emotion, do you give romance a shot? What if you're on borrowed time?What do you do then?In your third year at Aoba Johsai, your relationship with volleyball's 'Great King' takes a whole new turn and for better or for worse, sets a chain reaction of events that will change your life forever.•
Relationships: Oikawa Tooru/Reader
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> \- I will be using female pronouns
> 
> \- I will update when I can. (I update on Wattpad first then here).
> 
> \- [f/n] = first name, [l/n] = last name, etc.
> 
> This is my first time using Ao3 so hopefully I’m doing this right... xx

"It's not so bad, [l/n]..."

"...Shut up Oikawa."

Sitting in a classroom, your hands clenched into fists on your desk as you process the grade on your test just handed out, nails digging in, you shoot the boy next to you a mean glare as he leans over to you with a smile he tries to conceal at first but clearly unable to, his soft brown hair falling over his infuriatingly pretty face neatly yet unkept at the same time, his light brown eyes filled with a triumphant amusement.

"What? I'm trying to comfort you." Oikawa then states, placing a hand on your shoulder with a dramatized sympathy in the way he speaks, his voice unable to conceal the pure joy in surpassing you as he continues to squeezes your shoulder. In all honesty, maybe you could have gone along with his teasing should he have stopped there, given him a simple eye roll and moved on, but all the calm you had left leaves you when he picks up his own test paper, silently sliding it in front of you and sticking out his tongue tauntingly before letting go as you forcibly push him off.

"It's not funny."

"Aww, come on [l/n]...don't be like this with me, you know you're the one that made the bet thinking I wouldn't work twice as hard to beat you. I know it's your best class...a little unfair, no?"

‘That was the point.’

Though you had been avoiding looking at him directly in the eye, hearing him continue to flaunt his work and tease you has your cheeks burning up, your temper snapping as you get up from your seat and take his test paper, throwing it into his face forcefully while your gaze meets his.

‘Don't say it.’

‘Calm down.’

‘He's always like this with you. This isn't anything new.’

‘Don't say it-‘

"Why do you have to be good at everything? What, you're so insecure you have to take success away from others too?" 

"...what?"

Immediately as if on cue, silence falls around you both after your comment, the only thing audible for a short second being the sharp breath taken in by Oikawa. You don't move from your position in front of him, only leaning over a few centimetres away from his face as your hand now rests on his desk, your breathing slow though your heart beats wildly with the adrenaline of your frustration, brows furrowed, his usually warm eyes frozen over for a brief moment of weakness at your words. As soon as the hurt flashes on his face, sure you hadn't imagined it because you know him better than that whether either of you would admit it or not, you inwardly cringe, your itch to put him in his place being satisfied with the cost of your conscience when he stops talking completely. 

‘I'm sorry.’

‘I don't know what came over me.’

Unable to say your thoughts out loud, voice stuck in your throat, you lean away after holding Oikawa's gaze too long for comfort, looking away and moving your eyes to the floor as you feel roaming glances watching. You can hear your other classmates begin to whisper amongst each other, girls glaring from the first sign of your tone to the volleyball king; all the attention on the two of you and the scene you've created, so much so that if a pin dropped it would surely echo and disrupt the tension in the room.

‘I'm sorry.’

"You know I don't mean to hurt you...that's never my intention." Oikawa suddenly tells you softly, as if acknowledging your mental apology pride wouldn't let you declare, any bitterness towards you gone as if you hadn't just outright insulted him, a hand lifting to you and gently poking your forehead with an odd affection that makes your heart flutter to your dismay, a cheeky smile following after and hiding away his wandering mind replaying your words. "Besides, like I said, you're the one that made the bet with me...which means I'll see you after school in the gym, yeah?"

‘You're going to let it go just like that?’

‘Don't do this to me. Yell at me. Do something...’

Subconsciously biting your lip anxiously, giving in to him with a nod, you watch in a state of shock while Oikawa simply waves to you when the bell rings to signal the end of class, walking away after picking up his bag. Your whole body shifts in language as you hear his footsteps fade away with the rest of the class unfreezing as the world just keeps on moving; your shoulders relaxing as you stand up straight with your eyes trailing after him, regret crawling into your heart as a small frown is painted on to your face. Your words had been completely unnecessary and uncalled for, yet he said nothing on them though you know they hurt him.

‘You're the same as always, Tooru.’

‘I wish you'd argue with me for once.’

With a sigh, you pick up your own school bag and make your way out of the classroom to head over to lunch, your head full of questions and vexations, you heart aching the more you think of the way you treated the brunet; especially when it dawns on you that you definitely have to keep your promise and go to the gym to see him for volleyball after school. The halls eerily silent as you lose yourself in the white noise around you, the walls seemingly more narrow than usual the further you walk, trying your best to suppress all the despondency you carry with you, you let your hair fall over your face to block your vision from any other bystander to your misery.

‘If he could read my guilt earlier, does he know?’

•••

It isn't long until the day ends, the last bell finally ringing and waking you up from your last class, your head laying on your crossed arms on top of a desk with the afternoon sun shining over your face, the classroom empty by the time your eyes flutter open and adjust to the light again; you then sitting up with a sigh and staring down at your hands dropping at your lap. Playing with your fingers, you feel a wave of nausea when you realize you have to face Oikawa again after your outburst this morning, your body growing cold as you try to catch your breath again at the mere thought of showing up to his practice. You could already see it, the rest of his teammates turning their heads in judgement after their captain probably complained about you, the humiliation in your head holding hands with guilt.

‘But I have to go.’ 

‘He won...I'll look worse if I stand him up...’

"[l/n]?"

With a startled jump, your head shoots up at the sound of your name, your eyes wide with the small trace of your fears embedded in your momentary expression before you convincingly relax and squint to make out the person that had just spoken through the blinding light coming from the halls behind them.

"Iwaizumi." You say with a sigh, making out the boy's short, dark, brown hair and toned figure noticeable even under the school uniform almost instantly, looking back down before his bold eyes and strong gaze can see through you, the familiar hidden curiosity of your neighbour much too perceptive for your own liking.

"What are you still doing here? Oikawa said you'd be joining him at practice today and-"

"And?"

"He's already there. You're not."

With a light scowl, still trying to keep the mask of calm in front of your friend, you pick up all your things and get up from your chair, standing in front of Iwaizumi once you're ready and finally meeting his dark eyes, raising a brow when all he does is furrow his as if trying to put something together.

"You tried to fight with him again didn't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You always have that look on your face when you do, idiot."

Ignoring him, you walk past him with a brush of your shoulder on his arm causing him to react by stepping aside, a spark of impatience in his face when you refuse to acknowledge his questions.

"[l/n]."

"I'm not talking about it."

"Stop being so stubborn. I know Oikawa can be annoying and a shitty person, so what is it?" Iwaizumi doesn't give up on coercing the answers out of you, walking side by side on your way down to the gym, your steps almost perfectly in sync from all the walks home together.

"It's nothing."

"Did he do something to you?"

"No."

"[l/n]."

"What?"

"You make so many problems with him. I'm starting to think you are both just as dramatic."

"Oikawa and I are incredibly different. I'm just not interested in any sort of games of his. We're in our third year anyways. "

By this point of the conversation, you and Iwaizumi have reached the outside doors of the volleyball gymnasium, a gust of wind blowing your hair from your face with the dust of the bare ground going along with it, the cool breeze of the season sending a chill down your spine; though it could have been the reminder of what you were about to face all the same. Moving in between the door and Iwaizumi to properly meet his eyes after giving your poor excuse of an answer as to why you often search for a reaction from Oikawa or to push him away, a part of you wants to just admit to the truth and let out all you've kept at bay, but as you watch Iwaizumi shake his head with a sigh and reach out to pat your shoulder a little too hard, you realize how stupid you might sound to anyone else.

"If that's what you think, Oikawa has been wasting his time these last three years."

‘What?’

"Iwa! [l/n]! You're both finally here!" Oikawa's cheerful voice surprises you as he abruptly opens the gym door and you feel the weight of one of his arms wrap around your shoulders, body rigid as he pulls you closer to him which ultimately causes heat to rise to your face. At first, you want to protest, push him off you in embarrassment and alarm, but then you look up and meet his eyes and you feel your heart melt at how pleased he is to see you there. After this morning, you don't have the heart to do the fighting all over again. Quickly looking away, you just let him guide you inside without even a grumble under your breath, Iwaizumi walking behind you two, hiding the amusement at your reaction on his own face.

Entering the rather large gym and leaving the cool afternoon winds, you are surprised at how clean the gym is, the echo of volleyballs being hit around for warm-ups filling your ears, the walls painted with Aoba Johsai's bright colours and the sound of shoes hitting the ground adding to the symphony along with occasional yells from the rest of the boys already there. Now, it wasn't that you hadn't been here before, but you are sure the last time you watched a Seijoh game was when you first really noticed Oikawa in first year, trying to avoid anything related to him since then. To that, Oikawa had taken notice...which leads to the reason why you are here now.

"See guys? I told you she'd come."

Just like that, Oikawa's whole volleyball team stops what they're doing and turns towards you, a few of the boys just looking between in each other in surprise while others snicker amongst themselves, until a tall boy with messy dark hair and thick eyebrows, (which looks familiar as you are sure he is in your year, though you can't quite remember his name), speaks up.

"Yeah, and it only took you skipping a practice and Iwaizumi dragging her over here."

"Mattsunnn!" Oikawa lets go of you immediately after his friend's comment, complaining lightheartedly and insisting he's wrong, that you had just finally given into his charm. A little overwhelmed, you just stand there and watch the interactions unfold, Matsukawa (you remembered his name as soon as you heard the nickname) laughing at Oikawa's reaction and poking fun of him while Iwaizumi just stares with a face that tells you this was a very common occurrence.

‘He didn't say anything about what happened this morning..?’

"[l/n]!" Oikawa calls out your name after a few minutes of arguing with his friend, shooting him a playful glare before sending a bright smile over your way, waving you over to him. "You can sit on the benches over there when the practice starts. If my teammates stop being mean, maybe I'll introduce you to the rest properly after...although...I'm the one your eyes should be on anyways." He grins and moves away when you try to hit his shoulder gently, not having it in you to roll your eyes and letting him get away with the comment and by the way some of his friends are looking at you, you are sure you are blushing embarrassingly.

"You'll have to earn that." You grumble, walking away and seating yourself to where Oikawa had signalled, letting out a sigh and briefly placing your hand on your racing heart, wishing it would calm down.

‘He's just a show off. It's who he is...’

•••

You knew Oikawa was incredibly powerful in volleyball. That was a given, if you knew about volleyball in Japan at all and kept up with the promising upcoming players, it was very unlikely that you hadn't heard of him already, and you going to his very school and being in his very class, it was impossible not to be aware. You had seen him before too, even if it had been a bit over a year ago, and you knew he was good. You couldn't take that fact away from his identity. However, only now had you realized just how good Oikawa really was. Needless to say, his huge improvement since you had last seen him was incomprehensible.

Watching in awe from the bench as the boys practiced with an invited team, this was already their last set, and you were at the edge of your seat watching the ball being passed around the court and over the net. It was almost Oikawa's turn to set again, and excitement flared inside you when you see the team rotate and get ready for his serve. At first, you had tried to hide the wonder in your eyes. You didn't want the whole team to know, or maybe more specifically Oikawa, how amazing you thought they were. Now, you don't care at all; you have been swept into the rush of the game.

As soon as Oikawa takes hold of the ball, you see him take in a deep breath and smile to himself, taking a few steps back before bracing himself to throw the ball up and jump after it. Watching him move, you hold your breath, head lifting as yolks the ball sitting perfectly in the air while Oikawa bends and leaps with all his might; the muscle of his legs pulsing, his brown hair flowing with the air of the jump, eyes sharp and focused. Then, the setter slams his hand against the volleyball, and with a blink it has reached the other side of the court, scoring the last point they needed to win. Cheers erupting from Seijoh, you instinctively stand up from your bench and clasp your hands together with the thrill of watching them win.

"That was amazing!" You can't help but exclaim, Oikawa immediately turning from his team when he hears your voice over the rest of the talking. Walking over to you, breathing heavily, the brunet holds a smug smile, a proud glow in his eyes. It's a glow you had never seen before, and it did things to your heart you couldn't explain.

"That wasn't even our best since this is a practice...don't you wish you had come to our games earlier? Aren't you glad I won the bet?" He asks hopefully, though there's that familiar teasing tone to it he often speaks to you with.

"...I don't know. Maybe..." you respond awkwardly, your smile fading when he mentions your habit of never watching the school games despite being invited, and the bet you practically yelled at him this morning for.

"Are you impressed?"

"I already said you guys were amazing."

"Will you come to the other games? The real ones?"

"Why are you so persistent?" You snap, getting uncomfortable with the plead in his questions, not because it annoyed you or because you felt uncomfortable with him, but rather because you could feel your heart hope like it did years ago.

‘I don't want to be some dumb fangirl of his.’

‘I don't want to let him win me over like he has every other girl.’

"Why are you so snappy? I haven't done anything to you, [l/n]. You've refused to watch any of our games since the first year and it's our third year, at least as my friend I wanted you to be here again." Oikawa says with a cross of his arms across his chest, his volleyball uniform clinging to him, his chest riding and falling much more slowly than it had been a second ago. Considering how calm he looks, his face tells a whole different story - or at least, his eyes do.

‘What is he talking about?’

"We aren't friends."

"We're not?" Caught by surprise, Oikawa lowers his arms, tilting his head and raising a brow, pure genuine confusion flashing over the irritated hurt that had filled him previously.

"Um...well I didn't think we were..." You play with a strand of your hair nervously, unable to look at him directly once again, guilt coming back to take you away.

"...oh...I just thought since you've always been near Iwa and I..." Oikawa trails off, suddenly embarrassed himself.

The sound of his teammates cleaning up the gym fills your silence, some trying to eavesdrop while Iwaizumi just pulls them away, others minding their own business, the clinking of metal as the volleyball net goes down for the day sounding like a clock ticking with the seconds going by.

"Ok well, anyways, can you wait for me outside while I go change and help them clean the rest up? I won't be long. I promise."

‘Why?’

•••

The evening is far from warm, but the sun shines its golden light through the white clouds moving along with the strong winds, the light rays hitting your skin enough to add some comfort in the cold, your nose still pink nonetheless from the wait outside. Though he didn't specify why, you decided to grant Oikawa one last wish by waiting for him to finish up in the gym, even telling Iwaizumi to go on the walk home without you when the logical thing would have been to have him wait as well so you wouldn't be alone later; yet for some reason, you had a feeling you wouldn't be. Taking out your phone to check the time after at least 20 minutes waiting, you finally hear footsteps approaching, your head turning towards the sound and relief flooding through you when you finally see Oikawa.

"I guess you aren't very good at keeping promises." You say as soon as he's within earshot, earning a cheeky smile of defeat from him.

"I wasn't that long, was I?"

"A bit."

"You didn't have to wait for me."

Stunned, you put a hand to your mouth to stop yourself from laughing at the ridiculousness in that statement, recalling the way his eyes had begged you to listen and wait for him before he could turn away and act aloof.

"Whattt?" Oikawa playfully pouts, secretly just satisfied he had made you somewhat laugh.

"Nothing. So why am I here?" You ask, straight to the point once you've regained your composure.

"I think you have the wrong idea of me, [l/n]."

‘...the wrong idea?’

You aren't sure what you had been expecting to come out of Oikawa's pretty mouth, but that was probably the last thing you would have thought of.

"What do you mean?"

"Iwa told me that you think I'm just someone that plays a bunch of games."

‘I'm going to kill Iwaizumi.’

"...and I'm wrong?"

"You know you're wrong. I think you're just scared of that. Oh, what else did you say? That we're in our third year so it doesn't matter?"

While he talks, Oikawa has a smirk held back, watching you closely as you become completely flustered after having your thoughts exposed to the one person you didn't want to admit them to.

"I-"

"Won't that make being friends more fun?"

For some reason, with the way the captain says friends, you aren't convinced that that's his goal at all. But then again, it hasn't been your either. You'd rejected his every advance, even his offer at friendship because you didn't want to be another stupid girl to him. The way he makes you feel, his infuriating prettiness for a boy...it's all part of the reason you'd been so purposefully distant.

‘Did you finally have enough of it, Iwaizumi? Is that why you told him?’

‘Maybe he's always known...’

‘What do I have to lose?’

There were a million ways you could have responded to Oikawa's words. But as the clouds shift and the sun suddenly hits his eyes, the golden glimmer of sunset mixing in with his light brown eyes, the slight ruffle of his hair from the wind, your mind does a 180 and you step forward, poking his chest teasingly while your cheeks burn at your desire to share his outside confidence.

"Convince me."

Standing together in the approaching dusk, as soon as your words are spoken, all fear residing in the two of you vanishes, and all words unspoken are revealed through a shared look.

For better or for worse, Oikawa then nods.

"Of course. I don't like losing."


	2. Chapter 2

Though there had been a chill in the air a few weeks ago, the sun had grown hotter as the days passed by, the atmosphere also heavy with the humidity of rainfall just waiting to happen. In those few weeks, just as heat had risen in the weather, tension had began to burn up between you and Oikawa after he had assured you that he'd convince you he was worth the leap of faith - not that you needed much convincing, but more so the reassurance that this wasn't going to be some silly game of chase; you'd always preferred the commitment of chess. Nevertheless, the tension was only but a small ember ready to start a wildfire.

Or maybe that was just your body burning up while currently being inside Oikawa's home.

"Are you sure you understand this topic?"

"Of course [l/n]! Why would I lie to my friend?" Oikawa responds to you with a slight yell from his kitchen while you set up your textbook and his laptop on his wooden living room table, him placing an emphasis on the word friend as he had been doing recently to get under your skin, for some reason deciding that because you denied it the first time, he couldn't let you think otherwise anymore. Once again however, the word friend felt nothing but the superficial layer to the real intentions.

"I don't know...to keep me around longer?" You mutter to yourself, sitting yourself down and beginning to flip through Oikawa's notes curiously as you wait for him to return.

"I can still hear you, you know. And so what if I want to keep you with me longer, [l/n]? Either way I told you I could help you. We're in the same class anyways."

"Yes but...Astronomy-"

"I love it." Oikawa states with so much passion in those three words that you are a bit taken aback, lifting your gaze away from the textbook and watching him walk back from his kitchen with two cups of tea, a bright smile on his face and a gleam of fascination in his eyes when mentioning his love for space. 

"Hmm...okay. Fine." You sigh, forcefully prying your eyes away from him to save some of your dignity, focusing them on the cup of tea Oikawa has now placed in front of you, the warmth of his body so close to yours making you squirm as he sits beside you and leans in to take a look at the notes you were reviewing.

"Is it the calculations with these concepts you're stuck on?" Oikawa asks gently, flipping through pages carefully and typing away at his laptop once you've nodded, murmuring quietly to himself things you can't catch.

Taking a sip of the tea, the brew leaving a sweet taste in your mouth and a pleasant warmth despite the already present heat, you take a moment to process your surroundings while Oikawa makes an attempt to find what you need to help you. Other than the quiet typing, the soft clicks of his fingers against the keyboard with a pause every now and then, Oikawa's house is silent, no signs of anyone else, more specific to your curiosity, no sign of his parents/siblings there. You wonder how often he is home alone, how often he sits at home with this silence, and if it's comfortable to him or...lonely. Despite those wandering thoughts though, you find Oikawa's home cozy as far as you'd seen.

"Okay! I've pulled up a few videos I think will help you and then we can move on to solving some of the questions." He suddenly interrupts and pulls you back to earth, your eyes fluttering into adjustment and your head turning back to him, your cheeks pink when you realize he had taken over your thoughts. Out of what felt like nowhere, you feel you are much too curious of him, and you know that once he finds out, he'll know he had won before the game had started.

"Okay...let's get started I guess..."

•••

"Did you get it now?"

"Yes. I've said so for the last like fifteen minutes."

"I'm just making sure."

"Right, well like I said a minute ago, I got it."

"[l/n]..."

"What?"

"That's the wrong answer."

Stopping in your tracks, your hand lifting the pen off the paper while you stare at your answers, your eyes scour the page for where you had gone wrong. Head spinning, your brows furrowed and eyes narrowed in total concentration, your gaze doesn't leave your writing until you feel Oikawa laughing to himself beside you, his hand covering his mouth and his brown eyes twinkling with amusement while his hair bounces along with his laughter. Tilting your head in confusion before it clicks in your head, you gasp and look at your paper once more before giving him a light hit on the shoulder, completely embarrassed.

"Why would you do that to me? I felt so stupid searching for what I did wrong after assuring you I had it!" You complain, letting out a big sigh when you step away from him, finishing your sentence on the page and closing your notebook, stuffing it in your school bag sitting on the floor next to your seat, reaching for your textbook next to put it away.

"You're too serious, [l/n], you've been hanging around Iwa too much." Oikawa says after controlling his laughter, watching you put your stuff away with his smile flickering to a frown for a moment. "You're going to leave because of that?"

"You're just distracting me now."

"Do I bother you so much?"

You aren't sure what makes you pause abruptly after hearing that question, but you feel everything stop with you when you do. Your head turning to meet his brown eyes with pools of hidden gold, you take in a small deep breath, flashes of the same hurt from when you claimed to not be his friend and insulted him in class mixing with the look on his face now though barely noticeable. It isn't often Oikawa asks a serious question, and sometimes it's hard to pick apart when he is or when it's another act, but you know right now, he's asking for some sort of sign that you don't actually think so poorly of him.

"No, you don't."

‘It only bothers me the way you make me feel. I don't want to wake up and find it all over.’

‘That's how games are right? One moment you're winning and the next you've been wiped off the board.’

Before Oikawa can say anything back, a hard knock on the door interrupts you two, and as the brunet gets up to answer, the smile on his face reappears, the light and cheerfulness often on his face back like what has just happened never did. It almost causes a chill to run down your spine.

"Iwa! You're early!" Oikawa greets his best friend when the door opens to reveal an exasperated Iwaizumi, all colour draining from your face as you stand there after you had told Iwaizumi that the reason you wouldn't be walking home with him was because you had needed to do some groceries requested by your mother...not that you'd be going over to Oikawa's.

"And you're late, dumbass. Go get your volleyball uniform on, we have our practice match with Karasuno today." Iwaizumi practically growls, pushing Oikawa away until he finally notices you across the room watching their interaction unfold.

"You knew we had a game today and you still brought a girl home?! How are you our captain..."

"Don't be so mean Iwaaa." Oikawa pouts, signalling to you to wait a second while he takes the stairs past the living room up to his room to get changed, only poking his head once to add: "I was only helping a fellow classmate!"

Iwaizumi scoffs, crossing his arms in front of his chest and holding back a smirk as it's only the two of you downstairs now.

"Is this where you go grocery shopping now, [l/n]?"

"...just shut up. Didn't you want me to give him a chance? You totally outed me out that day you know." You snap back, attempting to make this encounter less weird for you at least by just distracting yourself with leaning up your school supplies into your school bag.

"I can't believe you actually listened."

"...he was hard to say no to..."

"[l/n] swallowing her pride for lazykawa of all people...how did he achieve that in one practice but not over the last three years? You're both crazy."

"He said he'd convince me. You knew after you told him everything I said I'd give in, don't act so smug."

Iwaizumi's attention briefly comes off you when he hears shuffling upstairs, his stance relaxing as his eyes glance up and a flash of mischief crosses his face. Raising his voice, he talks with the very intention and knowledge that Oikawa would hear the conversation.

"Has he shown you his collection of alien shirts and nerdy space posters yet?? I'm sure you'd find that real charming!"

"Iwaa! [l/n] I don't have a collection of any of those things!" Oikawa yells from upstairs, a few seconds later walking down his stairs with his volleyball uniform on and his sports bag strapped over his shoulder, something about it all igniting butterflies in your stomach even though you'd seen him like this many times. 

"Finally. You're done. Now let's go before we both get chewed out by the coach." Iwaizumi states while taking Oikawa's arm, the latter pushing him off and turning to you with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I guess you have to go home anyways...unless...do you want to come watch? It's just another practice match-"

"That he requested and we're going to be late for-"

"Sh Iwa, anyways...you should still come. It's at our school"

‘At our school again?’

Your eyes shifting between the two best friends, a heavy feeling in your gut settles in, your head shaking 'no' before you can even think of the invite, an excuse coming out of your mouth without a second thought.

"No...I'll go next game. I should head home now anyways."

A little disappointed but trying to be as understandable as possible, Oikawa nods and lets you walk out the door first, a humid chill in the air hitting you when you do. Stepping away, you ignore Oikawa's waving, refusing to turn back and get a glimpse of his puppy-dog eyes, a bitter taste in your mouth as you fight the urge to return the goodbye or to laugh at Iwaizumi and Oikawa's bickering; only walking out and making your way onto the street sidewalk, the tapping of your shoes against dark pavement being the only thing you hear while holding on to the strap of your school bag tightly, mind racing.

‘What am I doing?’

‘Why didn't I go? My parents won't be home until late, I have no work to do for the night...’

‘If it's another home game...even if it's a practice one...there will be other girls to support them. To support him. Is that what's bothering me?’

‘But...Aren't I being ridiculous again? It's not his fault he's good and so...attractive.’

‘He said to trust him and here I am making excuses.’

Stopping in front of a small convenience store, the dim lights glowing brighter as the sun is clouded by today's clouds full of rain, you watch the neon signs flicker, its glow reflecting in your [e/c] eyes as you feel adrenaline begin to course through your veins.

‘I should have said yes. I wanted to say yes. He wanted me there.’

‘I'm wrong about him. I've always avoided him...’

‘I can't do that anymore.’

Tilting your head up to the sky, you take a deep breath in before turning around, your hair blowing out of your face as you begin to run towards the direction you know Seijoh to be in, your heart pounding as you make the impulsive decision to go after all.

‘I was the one that said we are basically on borrowed time, wasn't I? ‘

•••

By the time you had made it to the Aoba Johsai gym hosting the game, the match had already started, your head poking through the gym doors out of breath, trying to silently slip by and make it to the bleachers with the few others, (mostly girls as you'd expected), watching. You don't make it far however when you get distracted by the team playing against Seijoh. By the name of Karasuno, as Iwaizumi had mentioned at Oikawa's home, you have an idea of their reputation after their uniform catches your eye.

‘So this is them.’

"The flightless crows" your whisper to yourself, your eyes landing specifically on a boy that looks a little familiar to you, his dark, straight hair sitting nicely over his face and framing it well, his blue eyes shining through with a cold determination and a look so calculating you immediately make the assumption that he is their setter, as it resembles Oikawa's when he makes split decisions on who to pass to. You try to place why he looks so familiar, but your train of thought is interrupted as soon as the whole court goes quiet, the distinguishable figure of captain Oikawa Tooru walking on to serve, silencing those watching.

Moving away quickly and simply watching from where the benches of the opposite team stand before you can go to the bleachers, you are set to watch in awe one of your "friend's" serves, until your eyes land on the knee brace you hadn't noticed before. 

‘So that's why he suddenly had so much free time the last few weeks...how didn't I realize he was injured..?’

In the split second worry had clouded your gaze, the set has started, the loud noises of the ball bouncing against arms and feet running around the court, yells between teammates echoing, all bundling together as you try to remember when it was that Oikawa had injured his knee, and how you never took note of it.

‘Why did he hide it so well?’

‘Why does he hide things so well?’

•••

"Kageyama Tobio." You gasp in your isolated seat at the top of the bleachers as soon as the final point is played and Karasuno wins the third set, the young setter you had taken note of exerting such pride with another ginger boy, both teams absolutely exhausted. Finally remembering his name, you realize this was the boy Oikawa resented so much, a detail he had long tried to work past though you knew with the way he looked at the younger rival that there were still pieces of that jealousy there. 

The whole game you had spent overthinking different aspects, the feeling of frustration with yourself gnawing inside you after going over countless details you had missed; including the detail that you shouldn't have said no to supporting this match after making a show of needing to be convinced that he wasn't just playing around with you, especially after hearing it was Karasuno playing.

‘What have I been doing for him?’

Head lifting as you see everyone begin to leave, a few girls in your class and lower eyeing you with distaste, you scramble out of your seat and rush down the stairs, pushing past the small crowd as you begin to search for Oikawa. A desperation to place a chess piece forward and show him he's not playing alone dragging down the rest of your guilty heart.

"[l/n]?"

Swerving around, you find Oikawa looking at you with a quizzical stare, his brown hair messy from the game, his body covered in sweat as he uses a towel to wipe his face and letting it sit around his neck comfortably.

"You came? I thought you said-"

"I wasn't as busy as I thought."

"Oh...well maybe you shouldn't have come just to watch us lose...although we weren't giving it our all this time." Oikawa expresses his minor discomfort through his uneasy chuckle after his sentence, his eyes shifting away from meeting yours though he stands with a façade of confidence.

‘Another mask. Don't you know I've paid better attention to you than that these last few years?’

‘Or maybe I've been part of the problem.’

"You'll just have to win for me next time then, Captain." You blurt out, trying to make your bold statement sound much more casual than you meant it, Oikawa tensing up as his eyes widen, a real smile tugging at the corner of his lips tight with frustration. 

"Why would I do all that for just a friend? You're just tugging at my heartstrings now, [l/n]."

‘What?’

"Oikawa! Come help clean up! Just because your knee is bad doesn't mean you get to sit around like a princess!" Iwaizumi's yells interrupt your conversation, your body rigid, words unable to form in your mind and your tongue all tied up to go along with it. To say the least, you are stunned by Oikawa's sudden, straightforward claim, the tone he had said it in smooth like silk, low and teasing.

‘What are you saying exactly, Tooru?’

"Coming!" The brunet then yells back at Iwaizumi completely casually when you have nothing left to say, turning away from you smugly and jogging away without a second look back.

‘I...’

‘I didn't even get to say anything I wanted...’

•••

The outdoor setting of Aoba Johsai high school has always been one of your favourites. Not because it necessarily had anything monumental about the view, nor did it have any defining features that would let someone know of the power the school holds - even the school itself is relatively average - but because as soon as you walk out the doors, you are connected to small streets leading to the greater city. You never felt trapped, counting cars passing by from your classroom windows, listening to the pieces of the city ambience with street lights decorating the sidewalks just outside, the abundance of silver metal and grey cement interrupted by the colour of the vehicles with some large trees. It felt like it's own kingdom amongst kingdoms.

‘Though...sometimes it feels like his kingdom.’

Tilting your head to the sky as expected rain clouds block away all sunshine, a light drizzle starting up, you close your eyes and replay Oikawa's words.

"Why would I do all that for just a friend? You're just tugging at my heartstrings now, [l/n]."

Opening your eyes with a gasp as the rain starts to pour harder without warning, you turn around frantically to find shelter, only to have one of your wrists caught in mid turn and pulled to the side, your body accidentally colliding with the culprit of the pull. Trying to push yourself away, you completely stop all your actions when you see Oikawa's breathless face right in front of you, his team jacket off now and draped over your head to protect you from the rain.

"What are you doing?" You breathe, taking hold of his jacket when he lets go, rain falling on his soft brown hair, his locks pressed against his face now, bangs all over the place.

"Lending you my jacket, obviously."

"No- Oikawa. What are you...why are you-"

"Are you interested?"

Against the grey of the sky, Oikawa's eyes look much darker, the rays of gold turned into a bronze amongst the chocolate of his irises, but even now they hold so much emotion you are continuously overwhelmed. Maybe it wasn't the answer to your questions on all his fronts, but his question caught you so off guard in the moment it was all forgotten, and you paid attention only to him and his current words.

"In what?" You can barely whisper out as he leans a little closer, your head turned upwards to hold his gaze.

"Letting me dedicate my wins for you. We didn't get to finish our conversation inside."

Even then as you dropped his jacket and let the rain fall on the two of you, heart bursting past the fear and distrust...

"Do you really have alien themed shirts?"

...you had no idea what you were saying yes to.


	3. Chapter 3

"You really said yes to Oikawa?"

"...yeah...in a way..."

"So you're stupider than I thought." 

Following his words, Iwaizumi pushes you lightly with one hand from your shoulder teasingly, his low voice serious but you can hear the tenderness in his playful, mocking aggression as you walk next to him. In response, your facial expression contorts to surprise and displeasure, though you hide a smile refusing to give your friend any sort of satisfaction within his cheeky teasing.

"Isn't he your best friend?"

"I'm not going on dates with him."

You hold back a laugh as the smile slips through after his comment, your heart fluttering at that statement while Iwaizumi just rolls his eyes, the brief feeling of an effortless, rosy, ease of having him accompany you this evening fleeting as soon as you are hit with the realization that you hadn't actually yet gone on any dates with Oikawa, and of course you weren't about to admit that to Iwaizumi after his assumption. You decided you'd be saving the both of you some embarrassment.

With only a week left now until the volleyball Inter High tournament, the passing days had left Oikawa with hardly any time for you, and anytime you'd text Oikawa in the hopes he'd be free, the captain would only apologize and assure you he'd make it up to you. It was fine of course, you understood, but when you had agreed to keep pushing the limits and take the option of being friends off the table, you had hoped this meant getting to truly know him, past his need to keep things to himself. 

So far, you had only gotten to know his busy schedule.

"Are you going out with him today? The whole team is supposed to be taking a break." Iwaizumi abruptly asks you, not looking at you directly when he does though you move your gaze on to him, watching as his short hair is ruffled by the misplaced wind, sun lost in the pools of dark brown which are his eyes. Quizzically, you wonder if he noticed the change in atmosphere after mentioning going out with his best friend, or if he was just trying to make conversation on what should be a cheerful topic with you. Either way, your heart sinks a little, the answer leaving a bitter taste in your mouth.

"I don't know." You sigh, leaving it at that as you quickly glance away.

With the sun going down on you and Iwaizumi walking home together from school, the dwindling warmth of the golden rays give way to a cooler evening, the sky almost completely clear of any clouds despite that. The moon is faintly visible high in the sky even now, the horizon still painted shades of pink and orange leaving a light highlight amongst the home roofs as you walk along the clean pavement sidewalks, moving downhill. Your footsteps stay in sync with the boy next to you, your eyes drifting off with a remnant of sorrow, past the few trees along the road and off to the traces of the city while his gaze lingers on you next when you sigh.

"He hasn't said anything?" Iwaizumi speaks up gentler than his previous tones after your sigh, his brows furrowing as confusion is plastered over his face, his dark eyes softening when you turn to face him and meet his stare.

"No...but I get it. What was I expecting, right? He's Oikawa." You try to laugh off your obvious sensitivity to the topic, tilting your head with a tight smile towards him.

"...right. Just make sure you communicate with him or whatever if you're so bothered, dumbass." Iwaizumi says as he turns away from you, wiping away the soft worry from his expression while trying to give you advice without sounding too serious or concerned, purposefully ignoring the way your gaze snaps back to him in surprise that he had caught all you tried to hide from him, finding discomfort in the vulnerability he could always catch from you when with him.

‘Communication...’

‘Iwaizumi is right. I guess a relationship built off secrets is a kingdom ready to crumble.’

After that conversation you don't say much else, simply taking comfort in the silence with your friend until you reach your home, the sun still touching the horizon going down when you do and the roads much quieter than they had been minutes ago, street lights beginning to turn on and the glows of the town lights becoming more noticeable.

Before turning to go inside your home, no car in your drive way telling you you'd be alone this evening as well, you give a wave to Iwaizumi and watch him wave back before continuing the short walk to his neighbouring house, only entering your own house when he is no longer in view. As you do, the increasing itch to check your phone for any messages from Oikawa starts to get hard to ignore, the weight of your phone in your bag growing ever so apparent. It was easier when talking with Iwaizumi to let it leave your thoughts completely, though you know it was foolish to hope you'd forget completely when he has been the only thing on your straying mind. 

Trying to push it all away as you enter your house, dropping your bag at the entrance and going upstairs almost immediately to change out of uniform, you know you'll only be disappointed if you do check, as you would have heard the little chime assigned to Oikawa's messages specifically. Still, a nagging voice in your mind wonders if maybe you had missed it. Surely he had to have found some time to say something?

Changing into something comfortable and returning back downstairs, you eye your bag, the curiosity and hope becoming unbearable. After a few moments of silence in your empty home, you decide to just get the pain over with and check your notifications, telling yourself it was better to live with the disappointment than be deceived by the wish. Reaching in and pulling out your phone, though you had already expected this, a pang of hurt passes through your whole body stemming from your heart when you see nothing but an empty screen.

‘Should I call him?’

Stubbornly pushing away that thought despite replaying Iwaizumi's words in your mind about communication, you set your phone down on your dining table and head to your fridge to find something sweet to take your mind off of Oikawa - not that that was very possible as expressed before, but still you naively desired. 

Before you can pick something out, however, you hear a knock at your door.

‘Who-?’

"[l/n]!" Oikawa calls out your name with joy woven in every syllable as soon as you open the door, surprise written all over your face as you feel yourself come to be at a loss for words. Your eyes settling on the tall brunet, the last lights of the setting sun's glow behind him, he still looks like the king he is known to be on the court to you despite the simplicity of his current look; his hair more disheveled than usual and his outfit being just an Aoba Johsai hoodie with regular, grey jogger pants. Not an ounce of his essence is diminished, and all doubts and misgivings you had about his lack of attention to you disintegrates in his light.

‘Oikawa.’

"What are you doing here?"

"I brought dinner, obviously." Oikawa responds to your question with a lift of the bag in his right hand, tilting his head and smiling sheepishly when all you do is raise your eyebrows in slight bewilderment.

‘I should be furious.’

"Did you...get that from the convenience store down the street?" You let out a laugh recognizing the logo on the bag, allowing any sour resentment left in you being completely overpowered by pure amusement.

"...um...yes? It was the only place with food I could recognize that you liked, and I didn't want to ask to surprise you...so...surprise?" Oikawa keeps on rambling in an attempt to make himself sound better than his gesture looked, the light in his eyes shifting to doubt and embarrassment until he perks up again and pulls out two movies from the bag, showing them to you with renewed excitement. "I also brought movies to watch! I don't know what they're about exactly but my sister said they're good for a date and-"

"A date?"

"Yes. Why else would I be here?"

‘He didn't say anything to me before.’

There's a pause in your conversation, a moment where you feel your cheeks heat up and your emotions mix around making your reaction too hard to understand; your heart unable to make up its mind on how you're supposed to be feeling though you had decided to ignore the resentment. Nevertheless, once again meeting your [e/c] eyes with his honey-filled brown ones, you push away the conflict for the time being.

"I just wasn't sure if..."

"If?"

"...nothing." You shake your head, opening the door wider for Oikawa, letting him in with a flickering warmth in your heart.

"...for the record, I've missed you, [l/n]." He whispers in your ear with a lean into you as he walks inside, a soft hum in his voice as you feel your body shiver.

‘I should be yelling...’

‘But how can I when that look belongs to me now? Isn't this what I wanted?’

•••

After letting your boyfriend in, the sun disappeared from the sky revealing the moon's soft glimmer through the windows of your simple home, the stars barely shining this night. After warming up the food he had brought, you and Oikawa settled in your small living room on the couch, the food set up on the coffee table in front of you both while the movies he brought were unintentionally scattered on the floor after finally going through them and picking one. The space is cozy, the soon empty food bowls reflecting the light of the newly turned on TV, you and Oikawa are sitting next to each other with shoulders touching as the first movie begins.

At first, the atmosphere, though warm, feels stiff, your body trying everything in its power to keep some space between you and the brunet, afraid of how comfortable you are allowed to get since it all still felt new to you. Nervously playing with your hands, you glance at Oikawa every now and then, his sweater on him looking softer by the second, your every nerve growing tired of the tension. After a good 20 minutes, on what feels like your millionth glance to the side, Oikawa finally catches your stare, a smile playing on his lips now.

"What, am I more interesting than the movie?" He chuckles, tilting his head teasingly.

"I..." You play with a piece of your hair, your train of though completely gone leaving you extremely self conscious. "No." You decide to say after a painful silence from you, trying to focus your attention back on the TV.

"Awe..." Oikawa sighs and leans his head on his hand with his arm resting on the couch arm rest, a piece of hair falling out of place over his eyes and the flickering lights coming off the television due to the playing movie shining a blue light on his face, shadows coming from the rest of the darkened room resting in his eyes momentarily with hidden emotions.

Guiltily, you are about to take back your white lie when Oikawa speaks up again.

"Is Iwa more interesting than I am?"

Taken aback, and whipping your head back to him as you furrow your brows and let a frown play on your face, you blink in shock at the question coming out of the boy's mouth in a tone more serious than he had been all night.

"What? Why would you ask that?"

‘How long has he been meaning to ask that? Was it not just my nerves weighing on the atmosphere?’

"You're with him more often than with me. I mean, I understand. He's my best friend after all, and I have great taste in everything...but I-"

‘I guess even in a game of chess a king wants his queen only for him.’

In a quick moment of panic and dismay at this insecurity being voiced out loud, it being something you never thought you'd hear from Oikawa, you kneel on the couch, sitting up and shifting closer to him to reach out and pull on his hoodie to force him to look at you before leaning in and crashing your lips on to his in a hard kiss, interrupting his next words. Letting go of his hoodie and dropping your hand on to his with the other gripping the side of the couch, Oikawa reacts by leaning in to the kiss even though you can practically hear the fear in both your heart beats. You know you have take him by complete surprise, him pulling away with a fogged up look of bewilderment in his brown eyes while you take a deep breath in, body heating up when you fully take in what you've done.

"What was that for?" Oikawa asks you in almost a whisper, still catching his breath and trying to grasp reality in front of him.

"...you've convinced me. You didn't even really have to. I've been afraid while wanting you." You confess, hating to admit it, face flushed, eyes pleading him to believe you, to choose you all over again.

"What, you wanted me to work for you?"

"I still do."

"So cruel...I want to be the one to hold all your time you know..." Oikawa mumbles, the jealousy of his best friend seeping through his words while slowly leaning in for another kiss from you, the tv sounding like far away static, the light of the movie being enough now to only allow the most noticeable features of each stand out, everything else hiding in the shadows like a mystery each wants to be swallowed into. 

‘What you've given me is not enough, but I don't know how to ask for more. Iwaizumi is my friend, while you...well we aren't exactly friends anymore are we? Did we ever have a chance to be?’

"We'll see."

Before Oikawa gets to steal another kiss, you push him back into the couch as soon as you stop his advances, sitting yourself beside him once again as you had been before reacting the way you did, letting go of his hand and fixing your hair while trying to calm your racing heart.

"[l/n]..." Oikawa says your name with held back laughter, turning and putting his arms around you from behind, following with a pull towards him and a push down until your head has without fail landed on his lap while you let out a gasp, his head looming over of yours smiling triumphantly. "...give me another kiss, don't be so cold."

"No. You have to earn the next one."

"Please." Oikawa pouts, hope and adoration mixed in the whirlpool of emotion in his brown eyes as sweet as chocolate.

"...fine." You sigh, unable to resist yourself with the recent memory of his lips on yours; it being a weight you wished to feel again as you feel the tingling on them fade.

This time with your hands cupping his face, hand moving up to his soft, dark hair and pulling him in from above, the both of you lean into the kiss with an unspoken desire awoken. After a few seconds, you feel Oikawa pull away in soft giggles between your kisses, causing you to pause to hold back your own laughter of pure joy and embarrassment.

"What?" You protest, immediately sitting up to face him properly, eyes locking with his.

"You're just too cute." Oikawa tells you in a 'matter-of-fact' tone as if the reason is obvious, his smile right then and there being one of the most genuine you had seen from him.

Heart aching for his gentle touch, a piece of your heart is pained by his happiness, for as much as you are sure you are in love with him, you know you don't share his momentary bliss.

"That is so cheesy..." you sigh with a smile you can't deny though a heaviness begins to rest in your shoulders the more you hold back.

‘Is it fair for the queen to let it all go for her king?’

‘Was Iwaizumi more right than I realized?’

‘What are we building through dismissal?’


End file.
